Newspaper vending machine



Feb. 28, 196? 3. H. VAARA 3 v NEWSPAPER VENDING MACHINE Filed April 13,1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN '1 l (I (thi l I N VEN TOR.

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INVENTOR. GEORGE h. VAAR i A TZ'OE/VEV Feb. 28, 1967 VAARA NEWSPAPERVENDING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 13, 1965 A TTOE/VE) UnitedStates Patent Gflice 3,306,414 NEWSPAPER VENDING MACHINE George H.Vaara, 12550 9th NW., Seattle, Wash. 98146 Filed Apr. 13, 1965, Ser. No.447,722 16 Claims. (Cl. 194-88) This invention relates to a machine forvending newspapers or like articles one by one, preferably wholly bymechanical means. The reference hereinafter to newspapers will beunderstood to include like articles, such as magazines, for instance.

The machine embodying the invention in its preferred form includesshelves arranged in a generally horizontal series, each capable ofsupporting a single paper that is held in an upright plane, and somounted, preferably hingedly, that it will be held in horizontalsupporting position by its,individual shelf support, one of a seriesthereof, until the last support of the series advances past each givenshelf in succession. Thereupon, the shelf having been removed by suchswinging from beneath the next paper, that paper drops and isdischarged. It is preferred that the supported papers be subjected at notime to a lateral force such as might drag the paper, or its lower edge,sidewise, and possibly cause it to jam the mechanism. To this end nopart of its support should be located immediately beneath the paper, norshould the paper itself have any support other than a hinged shelf;furthermore, this shelf should be supported by mechanism offsetlaterally beyond the space through which the paper drops when its shelfswings down at delivery, wherefore there can be no obstruction to itsdelivery. The shelves do not advance, but the supports advance step bystep, under control of any suitable coin mechanism, by a distance todeliver a single paper. In the preferred mechanical construction theshelf supports are arranged in two series, along an endless chain, witha gap between the last support of one series and the first support ofthe following series. When each gap stops beneath any given shelf, thatshelf is unsupported, and swings downwardly about its hinge axis, alongone edge. With a succeeding advance of the chain and its shelf supports,each previously downswung shelf is swung up to its supporting position,ready to receive another paper. Each advance of the chain and its shelfsupports is accomplished manually, although under control of suitablecoin mechanism.

It will be seen that such a machine involves no advance of a paper, withthe possibility of fouling and tearing it, and is mechanically simple,and unlikely to become inoperative or to give mechanical trouble. It isself-contained, for it requires no electrical power source for itsoperation, the entire operation being mechanical. It can be ruggedlymade, little subject to wear, and as for servicing, it requires onlythat each paper be partitioned off from other papers, at a givenspacing. That spacing may be such that a daily paper, at say ten cents,or a Sunday paper, at for example, twenty-five cents, can be dispensedfrom the same machine, appropriate modification being made in the coincontrol, or any given machine may be used to deliver only one kind ofpaper. The accomplishment of these ends, and the provision of a reliableand relatively inexpensive vending machine, are the main objects of theinvention, and other objects will appear as this description progresses.

The accompanying drawings show the invention embodied in a typical andpreferred form, although it will be understood that changes may be madein its general form and arrangement, and in many of its details, withoutdeparting from the invention as claimed.

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the operating mechanism, the nearside of the casing being omitted.

3,306,414 Patented Feb. 28, 1967 FIGURE 2 is a transverse sectional viewjust inside the front of the casing.

FIGURE 3 is an isometric view of the mechanism that effects delivery ofa paper.

FIGURE 4 is an isometric view of part of the coin mechanism,illustrating in particular how delivery of the last paper preventsacceptance of another coin.

This vending machine is intended to deliver newspapers, each in itscharacteristic flat, once-folded condition as it is delivered from thepress. Magazines and like articles can be delivered by the same machine,without change other than adaptation for size, and use of coin mechanismto handle the requisite coin. The coin mechanism is not part of thisinvention, for any suitable coin mechanism can be used, and it is notshown in great detail.

The newspapers are arranged in the machine for delivery each in agenerally upright plane, usually resting on its folded edge, the severalplanes being parallel. The manner in which this disposition is attainedis not highly important; by way of example, the space within the casing9 is partitioned by a series of parallel, upright partitions 91 into anappropriate number of newspaper spaces. Their spacing from one anothermay be only sufiicient to receive the thickest paper intended to bevended; if a given machine is intended to vend alternatively a dailyedition and a Sunday edition, their spacing must be such as toaccommodate the thicker Sunday edition. The coin mechanism must beappropriate to the edition being sold at any given time.

Each paper P is initially supported in its space between fixedpartitions 91 upon a shelf 1, the latter so supported that it can movefrom its normal supporting position to a non-supporting position uponproper operation of the coin mechanism. Preferably each shelf 1 ishingedly supported by a transverse rod 10 along its one edge, which rodis pivoted in a wall 92 extending from front to rear within the casing9, and in an opposite wall 93. Laterally outside the wall 92 the rod 10is formed with a lever arm 11, with which is engaged a support such asis about to be described. The hinged mounting described is a convenientand preferred one, but any mountinig whereby the newspapers immediatesupports can be removed, one at a time, to non-supporting position, issufiicient to satisfy the broader aspects of the invention.

Each shelf 1 is supported at any given time (with the exception of theshelf that has just swung down to deliver a paper) by an individualsupport 2, of which there is a series, one for each shelf, positionedbeneath the lever arm 11 of its shelf to hold the lever arm 11 and itsshelf in generally horizontal or supporting position. This series ofsupports is shiftable along the series of shelves and past all thepartitions 91. When the machine is fully loaded all shelves are upheldin supporting position, and the final shelf support 2F is in positionimmediately behind the last or rearmost shelf. The ensuing advance ofthe series of shelf supports 2, through a distance corresponding to thewidth of a newspaper space, leaves the last shelf 1F unsupported, and itswings down under the weight of itself and its paper, allowing thatpaper to drop down. Conveniently a chute 94 beneath all the papersreceives the paper thus discharged, and conveys it by gravity to adelivery point, as the paper P1 in FIG- URE 1 has been conveyed from thespace S1. With each succeeding actuation of the vending machine theseries of shelf supports advances through the same distance, and thefinal shelf support 2F leaves the next shelf and its lever arm 11unsupported, and effects delivery of the rearmost remaining paper.

The manner in which advance of the series of shelf supports 2 isaccomplished is not material to the broader aspects of the invention.Preferably they are carried by an endless chain 20, the upper runwhereof is supported along a straight line by a guide 29, and passingabout idler sprocket wheels 21. The chain extends from front to rear ata level below the shelves 2, and wholly to one side thereof. So arrangedthere may be two alternative series of shelf supports, with a gap of thewidth of a newspaper space between the final support of one series andthe first support of the next series. This arrangement permits one paperto drop when the gap, as in FIGURES 1 and 3, registers with anindividual shelf. Moreover, as an active series of supports advances,the oncoming series also advances and restores each previously downswungshelf to its supporting position. By the time the last paper has beendelivered the shelves are again in position to receive and support thenext batch of papers. Otherwise it would be necessary to reverse themovement of the series of supports, and to restore the series of shelvesto their supporting position.

Step by step advance of the supports is etfected preferably by whollymechanical manually operable mechanism. This includes a ratchet dog suchas that shown at 3, guided for vertical movement in a T-head, andspring-urged downward into engagement behind a shoulder formed on eachsuccessive support 2. The T-head 30 is carried by a rod 31, guided at 32for movement forwardly and rearwardly, and limited in the extent of itsreciprocation by its engagement with a guide 32 acting as a stop. Acompression spring 33 acts to return the T-head to its rearmostposition, following its forward movement to advance the supports. Theratchet dog might be arranged elsewhere in the advancing mechanism, butthe arrangement described is most direct.

Mechanism for effecting forward or advancing movement of the T-head 30and rod 31 may be directly or indirectly connected to the rod. As shown,an actuating lever 4 is pivotally mounted at 40 at its lower end, and isconnected at 43 to the rod 31. A second rod 41 is guided forreciprocation at 42, and is connected by link 44 to the upper end ofactuating lever 4. A handle 45 upon the rod 41, externally of the casing9, enables a purchaser to pull the lever 4 and rod 31 forwardly, asshown in dot-dash lines in FIGURE 1, which delivers a paper such as P1;release of the handle 45 allows spring 33 to return all parts to theirinitial position, the dog 3 then engaging behind the next support 2,ready for the next delivery.

Each delivery is permitted by suitable coin mechanism, and any suitablesuch mechanism may be employed; none is shown herein in detail. However,means must be actuated by the delivery mechanism to prevent acceptanceof a coin after the last paper has been delivered. To that end a feeler5 is pivotally mounted adjacent the last of the papers to bedeliveredthe forward-most paper. So long as that paper is within themachine, the feeler 5 remains depressed, but when that last paper hasbeen delivered, it swings into the space just vacated, as is seen inFIGURE 4. Thereby a blocking element, such as a flexible rod or wire 50,guided at 51, moves lengthwise to block access of a coin C to the chute60 that leads to the coin wheel 6, and diverts the coin to a returnchute 61. The coin wheel 6 is on a shaft 62, whereon is a second wheel63 that carries a stop pin 64. The latter is located to engage andprevent reciprocation of the extension of rod 31 in the actuatingdirection, by engaging a complemental stop 35 on the rod. Until thewheel 63 has rotated to remove the stop pin 64 from the path of the stop35 the mechanism cannot be operated. Such rotation is under control of acoin-engaging wheel 6.

The machine is loaded by opening the top 99 and inserting single papersin the spaces between partitions 91. At this time the final support 2Fshould be in position to support the rearmost shelf 1, and each othershelf is supported by its individual shelf support. A purchaser insertsthe appropriate coin in the coin mechanism, whereupon the wheels 6 and64 rotate, and as the purchaser pulls on handle 45 the shelf supportsnotthe papersadvance by a distance equal to one newspaper space. The finalsupport 2F advances to support the nextto-rearmost shelf, and havingbeen withdrawn from supporting position relative to the rearmost shelf,the latter swings down and delivers its paper. A second purchaserfollows the same procedure, delivering the originally nextto-rearmostpaper. The second series of supports, advancing with the first series,engages the lever arm 11 of the rearmost shelf with the first support ofthe second series, and restores that rearmost shelf to supportingposition. This goes on until the last or foremost paper has beendelivered, and when that occurs the feeler 5 swings up, and acceptanceof further coins is barred until the machine has been refilled.

Since the gap between two shelf supports 2, the last support 2F of oneseries and the first 2A of the following series, must at the start ofthe operation be located immediately behind the rearmost shelf 1, insuch position that the next advance of the chain 20 will advance the gapto register with that shelf, and since at the time the foremost paper isdelivered the gap registers with the extreme forward shelf, and thefollowing gap is consequently one space removed from its startingposition, it is necessary to advance that following gap this one space,before a new series of papers can be delivered. This advance can beeffected manually or otherwise, as by a wrench or other tool applied tothe squared end 22 of a shaft whereon a sprocket wheel 21 is fixed, toturn the wheel by the correct distance. This would be done through theopened access door by the attendant who refills the vending machine. Thesame result can be effected by providing a dummy shoulder 23 at the gap,engagement of which by the ratchet dog 3 will advance the chain 20 andsupports 2 by one space.

Newspapers of different publishers may vary in width. To accommodatenarrower papers, and to insure correct operation of the feeler 5, afiller 98 may be used at one or both ends of the foremost space. Thisaccurately locates this one paper. Accurate location of the others isnot material.

I claim as my invention:

1. A vending machine for newspapers or the like, comprising shelvesindividually pivotally mounted along one edge, and of a size to supportthe lower edge of an individual paper that is disposed in an uprightplane, When the individual shelf is disposed horizontally, a lever armdisposed laterally beyond the edge of a paper thus supported, andoperatively connected to pivot with each shel-f from the shelfshorizontal supporting position to a downswung delivering position,shelf-supporting means also disposed laterally beyond a supported paper,in position to engage and initially support said lever arms in theirhorizontal disposition, means to advance said shelfsupporting means stepby step past successive lever arms, to locate the supporting meanssuccessively in non-supporting position beyond the last shelfs leverar-m, beyond the next to last, and so on throughout the series of leverarms, whereby successive shelves corresponding to such lever arms willswing down, and their supported papers will drop, clear of theshelf-supporting means.

2. A vending machine as in claim 1, including means to restore eachlever arm and its shelf, following delivery of the shelfs paper, to itshorizontal supporting position.

3. A vending machine for newspapers or the like, comprising shelvesarranged initially in a generally horizontal series and each of a sizeto support the lower edge of an individual paper that is disposed in anupright plane, shelf-supporting means located initially to support allsaid shelves, means to advance said shelf-supporting means step by stepwith respect to individual shelves, to locate the supporting meanssuccessively in non-supporting position beyond the last shelf, beyondthe next to last, and so on throughout the series of shelves, whereby todeliver successive individual papers, coin mechanism to control saidadvancing means, a feeler engaging the last paper to be discharged, andheld thereby from its normal position, and means interconnecting saidfeeler and said coin mechanism to block acceptance of a further coinupon release of the feeler by delivery of the last paper.

4. A vending machine as in claim 3, and a filler disposed in the lastpaper space in position to locate a nar row paper relative to thefeeler.

5. A vending machine as in claim 3, said coin mechanism including arotative wheel, and stop means interen-gageable between the same and theadvancing means but removable by insertion of a coin, and a blockingmeans operatively connected to said feeler to block insertion of a coinfollowing delivery of the last paper.

6. A vending machine for newspapers or the like, comprising a pluralityof normally horizontal shelves each hingedly supported along one edgeand arranged in a series to support successive papers, when the same aredisposed in upright planes, along their lower edges, a lever armoperatively connected to each shelf, a series of shelf supports guidedfor advance along a path beneath said arms to support the correspondingshelves in their generally horizontal disposition until the last shelfsupport has advanced beyond each given shelf and its lever arm, andmeans to advance said shelf supports step by step with respect tosuccessive shelves, to locate the last support in succession innon-supporting position beyond the last shelf and its lever arm, beyondthe next-to-last, and so on throughout the series of shelves, whereby todeliver successive individual papers.

7. A vending machine as in claim 6, including a second series of shelfsupports, the first whereof is spaced behind the last support of thefirst series, said two series of shelf supports being connected forconjoint advance, whereby the supports of the second series will restorethe shelves to supporting position following delivery of a paper.

8. A vending machine as in claim 7, including an endless chain andsupports therefor, the two series of shelf supports 'being mounted, inspaced relation, upon said chain.

9. A vending machine as in claim 1, including a series of fixedlypositioned upright partitions above and spaced correspondingly with theseries of shelves, to maintain individual papers in generally uprightplanes.

10. A vending machine for newspapers or the like, comprising shelveshinged along one edge and arranged in a generally horizontal series, andeach of a size to support the lower edge of an individual paper that isdisposed in an upright plane, an endless chain and supports for thesame, located below the shelves, a series of shelf supports carried bysaid chain in position to support each one of said shelves inpaper-supporting disposition, the series of shelf supports incorporatinga gap which when disposed in registry with a shelf will permit thatshelf to swing downwardly, and means to shift the chain and its shelfsupports along the series of shelves, and thereby to shift the gap intonon-supporting position relative to-successive shelves, for delivery ofthe individual paper supported thereon.

11. A vending machine as in claim 10, wherein the chain-shifting meansincludes a ratchet dog operatively engageable with the chain to advanceit and its shelf supports and the gap, and means to advance said ratchetdog successively by the spacing of the individual shelves.

12. A vending machine as in claim 11, wherein each shelf support isformed with an abutment, and the ratchet dog engages successiveabutments to advance the chain and associated elements.

13. A vending machine as in claim 11, including additionally a guide forthe ratchet dog paralleling the chain, a manually operable plunger,means interconnecting the plunger and the guide for advancing movementof the latter upon manual operation of the plunger, and stop means tolimit movement of the guide.

14. A vending machine for newspapers or the like, comprising shelvesarranged in a generally horizontal series and each of a size to supportthe lower edge of an individual paper that is disposed in an uprightplane, a series of shelf supports located initially to support each itsindividual shelf in paper-supporting position, and each formed with anabutment, the series of shelf supports terminating in a final supportinitially beneath the rearmost shelf, a ratchet dog guided forreciprocation lengthwise of the series of shelf supports, in position toengage the abutments of the shelf supports and to advance the latter bythe space of one newspaper, and coin-controlled means to reciprocatesaid ratchet dog.

15. A vending machine as in claim 14, including an actuating rod guidedfor manual reciprocation, a lever operatively connected to said rod tobe angularly swung by its reciprocation, an operative connection betweensaid lever and the ratchet dog, and spring means to return parts afteractuation to their normal positions.

16. A vending machine as in claim 7, wherein the two series of shelfsupports are spaced to define a gap of a width to permit a given shelfto swing down when such gap registers with such given shelf and itssupport, and so to deliver the paper supported by such given shelf, thefirst of the following series of shelf supports serving to restore suchdownswung shelf to supporting position when the shelf supports and thegap advance again.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 378,945 3/1888Katz l9488 X 818,296 4/1906 Rule 22l90 1,272,096 7/1918 Rathgeb 194-75ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner. STANLEY H. TOLLBERG, Examiner.

1. A VENDING MACHINE FOR NEWSPAPERS OR THE LIKE, COMPRISING SHELVESINDIVIDUALLY PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ALONG ONE EDGE, AND OF A SIZE TO SUPPORTTHE LOWER EDGE OF AN INDIVIDUAL PAPER THAT IS DISPOSED IN AN UPRIGHTPLANE, WHEN THE INDIVIDUAL SHELF IS DISPOSED HORIZONTALLY, A LEVER ARMDISPOSED LATERALLY BEYOND THE EDGE OF A PAPER THUS SUPPORTED, ANDOPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO PIVOT WITH EACH SHELF FROM THE SHELF''SHORIZONTAL SUPPORTING POSITION TO A DOWNSWUNG DELIVERING POSITION,SHELF-SUPPORTING MEANS ALSO DISPOSED LATERALLY BEYOND A SUPPORTED PAPER,IN POSITION TO ENGAGE AND INITIALLY SUPPORT SAID LEVER ARMS IN THEIRHORIZONTAL DISPOSITION, MEANS TO ADVANCE SAID SHELFSUPPORTING MEANS STEPBY STEP PAST SUCCESSIVE LEVER ARMS, TO LOCATE THE SUPPORTING MEANSSUCCESSIVELY IN NON-SUPPORTING POSITION BEYOND THE LAST SHELF''S LEVERARM, BEYOND THE NEXT TO LAST, AND SO ON THROUGHOUT THE SERIES OF LEVERARMS, WHEREBY SUCCESSIVE SHELVES CORRESPONDING TO SUCH LEVER ARMS WILLSWING DOWN, AND THEIR SUPPORTED PAPERS WILL DROP, CLEAR OF THESHELF-SUPPORTING MEANS.